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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 6270 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC002778 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives Slater, Diaz, Potter, Edwards, Bennett, and McGaw |
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| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: April 25, 2025 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Referred To: House Corporations |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Legislative findings. 1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | 1. The unregulated sale of hemp-derived cannabinoids, including delta-9 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), presents risks to public health and safety, particularly when infused 4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | in consumable beverage products. 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | 2. The proliferation of such beverages has created a gray area in the regulation of controlled 6 |
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| 28 | 28 | | substances, potentially undermining Rhode Island’s licensed adult-use and medical cannabis 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | framework. 8 |
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| 30 | 30 | | 3. It is in the interest of public safety and regulatory consistency to prohibit the sale of 9 |
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| 31 | 31 | | beverages containing hemp-derived delta-9 THC unless approved under the state’s existing 10 |
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| 32 | 32 | | cannabis regulatory framework. 11 |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 21-28.11 of the General Laws entitled "The Rhode Island Cannabis 12 |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 13 |
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| 35 | 35 | | 21-28.11-10.5. Hemp derived Delta-9 THC beverage regulations. 14 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (a) Definitions. As used in this section: 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) “Beverage” means any liquid intended for human consumption including, but not 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | limited to, water, soda, juice, energy drinks, and ready-to-drink teas or coffees, including delta-9 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | THC drink mix powders which are mixed into beverages. 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) “Delta-9 THC” means delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the principal psychoactive 19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC002778 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 44 | 44 | | constituent of cannabis. 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (3) “Hemp-derived” means any extract, cannabinoid, isomer, acid, salt, or derivative 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | sourced from the plant Cannabis sativa L. with a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than three-3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | tenths percent (0.3%) on a dry weight basis, as defined under 7 U.S.C. § 1639o. 4 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (b) Prohibited acts. 5 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) Except as permitted pursuant to subsection (b)(3) of this section and chapters 28.6 and 6 |
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| 50 | 50 | | 28.11 of title 21, no person or business shall sell, offer for sale, or distribute any beverage that 7 |
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| 51 | 51 | | contains hemp-derived delta-9 THC within the State of Rhode Island. This prohibition applies 8 |
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| 52 | 52 | | regardless of the concentration of delta-9 THC or the method of infusion. 9 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (2) No person shall possess, consume, or distribute any beverage containing hemp-derived 10 |
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| 54 | 54 | | delta-9 THC unless such product is approved and dispensed in accordance with the provisions of 11 |
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| 55 | 55 | | chapters 28.6 and 28.11 of title 21. 12 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the sale of cannabis-infused beverages authorized 13 |
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| 57 | 57 | | under chapters 28.6 or 28.11 of title 21 dispensed through licensed cannabis establishments 14 |
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| 58 | 58 | | regulated by the cannabis control commission. 15 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (c) Enforcement and penalties. Any person or business who violates the provisions of this 16 |
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| 60 | 60 | | section shall be subject to: 17 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (1) A civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) per violation; 18 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (2) Seizure and destruction of noncompliant products by the cannabis control commission, 19 |
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| 63 | 63 | | or at the direction of the cannabis control commission; and 20 |
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| 64 | 64 | | (3) For repeated violations, suspension or revocation of retail licenses. 21 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (d) Rules and regulations. The cannabis control commission, in consultation with the 22 |
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| 66 | 66 | | department of health, shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement and enforce 23 |
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| 67 | 67 | | the provisions of this section. 24 |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 25 |
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| 69 | 69 | | ======== |
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| 70 | 70 | | LC002778 |
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| 71 | 71 | | ======== |
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| 72 | 72 | | |
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| 73 | 73 | | |
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| 74 | 74 | | LC002778 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 75 | 75 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 76 | 76 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 77 | 77 | | OF |
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| 78 | 78 | | A N A C T |
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| 79 | 79 | | RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT |
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| 80 | 80 | | *** |
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| 81 | 81 | | This act would prohibit the sale of beverages and drink mix powders containing hemp-1 |
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| 82 | 82 | | derived delta-9 THC in Rhode Island, unless such products are authorized and regulated under the 2 |
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| 83 | 83 | | state’s cannabis laws, and would maintain regulatory consistency within the state’s cannabis 3 |
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| 84 | 84 | | framework. 4 |
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| 85 | 85 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 5 |
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| 86 | 86 | | ======== |
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| 87 | 87 | | LC002778 |
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| 88 | 88 | | ======== |
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